Leslie Alba, Bank of America

Leslie is a graduate of Colgate University and has a Master's of Urban Planning from Columbia University. Her interest in community development began with summer internships in college during which she worked at several organizations aimed at revitalizing Cleveland neighborhoods. Her work focuses specifically on affordable housing finance.

Leslie is a native of Astoria, Queens, NY and in her free time likes to explore neighborhoods and cook.

Michael Berne, CAMBA Housing Ventures

In his role as Project Manager, Michael manages the development of affordable and supportive housing - from predevelopment and financing through design and construction - for CAMBA in Brooklyn, NY. He joined CAMBA in 2007 after receiving his Master of Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from NYU's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. While at NYU, Michael worked as an intern at CAMBA, tackling a variety of projects related to site acquisition and project development.

Michael was part of the 2004-2005 class of New York City Urban Fellows, serving his fellowship year at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Division of Special Needs Housing as project manager for two supportive housing proejcts in Queens and helping nonprofit sponsors complte Shelter Plus Care Rental Assistance applications. He has also served for one-year as an AmeriCorps-sponsored assistant site supervisor for a Habitat for Humanity project in the Seattle area.

Michael earned his BA in history with honors from Wesleyan University. He grew up in New York City and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Amy Boyle, New York State Housing Finance Agency

Amy works as an underwriter at the New York State Housing Finance Agency. Prior to her work at the Agency, she served as a transportation, land use and housing policy advisor for the United State House of Representatives in Washington, DC.

Amy holds an MBA and a Master's of Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University, as well as a Bachelor of the Arts from Miami University (Ohio) where she studied political science and architecture. in her free time, Amy loves to cook, read, surf and do handstands.

Ron Bronfin, Reznick Group

Ron is a senior audit manager in the Real Estate Audit and Accounting Group in Baltimore, MD. He has more than ten years of auditing experience, working with both for-profit and not-for-profit affordable housing developers. He has also worked with the various New York agencies on their reporting requirements.

His expertise includes 10% tests, 50% tests, cost certifications, 95-5 tests and year-end audits. Ron is responsible for evaluating internal control procedures and developing specialized audit approaches.

He received his B.S. in Accounting from Toro College in New York and is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Theresa Do, SONYMA

Being a native of Oakland, California and the youngest child to Vietnamese immigrant parents, Theresa developed her interests in housing and economic development from an early age and developed her fervor for urban planning while studying the effects of socioeconomic gentirfication while an undergraduate at the University of California (where she also spent a semester in Vietnam).

Theresa currently works for the State of New York Mortgage Agency as their Program & Policy Administrator working directly on single family affordable housing issues. She received her Master's in Urban Planning from New York University's Wagner School of Public Service where she majored in housing and economic development.

Meghan Fennelly, Nixon Peabody LLP

Meghan is an attorney in the Affordable Housing practice group of Nixon Peabody LLP. She represents not-for-profit organizations and for-profit developers in all stages of acquisition, development, rehabilitation, and operation of affordable housing developments. She focuses on tax-exempt bond financing, low-income housing tax credits, FHA and HUD financing programs, Section 8, tax exemption programs and corporate governance issues. Prior to joining Nixon Peabody, Meghan completed internships with Public Advocates in San Francisco, the Greater Boston Fair Housing Center, the Legal Resource Centre in Ghana and worked for three years for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division as the communications office director and as a legislative analyst.

Meghan attended Georgetown University Law Center, where she participated in the Harrison Institute Housing Clinic to represent low-income tenants in the purchase of their apartment building. She has a Masters Degree in Urban Studies and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. Meghan serves on the board of directors of Women in Housing and Finance, Inc. and is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association. She also has been involved with the Get in the Game women's basketball non-profit since law school and regularly plays pick up and in tournaments with the group.

Lindsey Fitzgerald, Nassau County Office of Community Development

Lindsey is an Assistant Counsel at the Nassau County Office of Community Development, concentrating in the areas of real estate, community development and affordable housing finance.

Lindsey graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing. She received her Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law. Lindsey is admitted to the Bar of New York. She enjoys training for marathons and volunteering her time.

Maureen Freehill, New York State Homes and Community Renewal

Maureen has served as Policy Analyst for NYS HCR since January 2008. In addition to assisting with special needs housing issues, Maureen serves as the liaison to the NYS Department of Health under the Money Follows the Person long-term care restructuring initiative. As part of this initiative, she has developed the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Housing Subsidy Program, which won the 2009 National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) award for Special Needs Housing Innovations. She also helped with the launch of NYHousingSearch.gov, an affordable, accessible online listing and locator tool.

Maureen began her career at the Rural Ulster Preservation Compamy in 2003 as a Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher and Tax Credit program manager. In the subsequent 5 years, she also coordinated the Family Self Sufficiency Program, FIrst Time Homebuyers programs, and initiated the supportive housing programs for the Rural Ulster Preservation Company's diverse tenant populations.

She received her B.A., cum laude from SUNY-New Paltz and is a member of Phi Alpha Theta (the history honor society). Maureen serves as the volunteer coordinator for the Rosendale Theatre Collective which produces live productions and hosts indie film screenings and the Woodstock Film Festival. She is an avid craft beer enthusiast and enjoys pinas coladas and getting caught in the rain. Maureen is a reader/collector of books we all should have read in high school.

Julie Gonzalez, Housing Partnership Development Corporation

Julie joined HPDC in 2008 and is responsible for implementing the Housing Partnership's Neighborhood Stabilization Programs (NSP) in New York City, and Westchester and Orange Counties. She ensures program compliance with federal regulations and works collaboratively with community based partners providing technical assistance and project oversight.

She received her B.A. in Political Science from Seattle University and has previous experience in community planning and development and legislative affairs. Julie holds a Masters or Urban Planning from Hunter College.

Kirsty Greer, LISC

Kirsty was born and raised near Detroit, receiving her B.S. from the University of Michigan. She then earned her Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania with a focus on community development and real estate finance.

Kirsty started out a laborer with a commercial construction company in Detroit before moving up to project manager. She worked for several years managing school, hospital and church construction projects throughout Michigan. After graduate school, Kirsty worked for several years as a project manager at Urban Green Builders, a small developer/builder based in East Harlem, working on affordable and market-rate mixed-use projects in Connecticut, New York and California. Kirsty is currently working for LISC New York City managing the energy retrofit of over 1,000 affordable housing units through the New York State Weatherization Assistance Program.

In addition to being a LEED Green Associate, Kirsty holds several certificates in green retrofit procedures and practices. She is a dual citizen of the United States and Great Britain.

Russell Hubley, New York State Affordable Housing Corporation

In his Project Manager role, Russell reviews proposals for owner-occupied affordable housing projects, primarily in New York City, and is involved with statewide neighborhood stabilization and development programs. In addition, he serves informally as his department's information technology liaison and has helped to develop proposals for the streamlining of the Corporation's programs and procedures.

Russell has experience as an office manager and records manager for the New York State Housing Finance Agency and the State of New York Mortgage Agency. He has served as an intern for the United Nations Association and as a volunteer with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Russell is also an active musician and songwriter, performing as a solo multi-instrumentalist  and with several bands.

Along with a B.A. from Hunter College, Russell has also earned an M.B.A. from Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business.

Ashley Hartsook, Raymond James Tax Credit Fund

Ashley is Associate Director of Acquisitions for Raymond James Tax Credit Funds, Inc. and responsible for property acquisitions in the northeast U.S. including New York City. She joined RJTCF in 2005; prior to that Ashley was Senior Underwriter and Manager for Investor Closings. In this role, she managed the investor closings for over $300 million in capital in various states, including two funds which raised $140 million for rebuilding areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. She has worked closely with Fannie Mae, Bank of America, Capital One, Citi, TD Bank, Bank of New York, and HSBC. Ashley has worked on a range of project types including Section 236 decoupling, HOPE VI funds, tax-exempt bonds, RD 515 and other forms of public financing.

She received a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Florida. She enjoys running, skiing, traveling, hiking, tennis and football.

Alison Hickman, Reznick Group

Alison is a Senior Manager with the National Affordable Housing Finance practice of Reznick Group in Baltimore, MD. She advises clients on low-income housing tax credit underwriting, allocation and due diligence issues as well as structuring and obtaining financing for affordable housing developments involving leveraged financing and public/private partnerships.

Her consulting services include preparation of Form 2530 in HUD's Active Partners Performance System (APPS); financial feasibility analysis; Section 42 compliance; due diligence and third-party report analysis; construction loan disbursements and monitoring; preparation and review of financing and tax credit applications as well as HUD mixed-finance applications.

Alison has spoken at regional and national real estate conferences including the National Leased Housing Association and the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association.

Prior to joining Reznick Group, Alison was a consultant with Arthur Andersen's Office of Government Services in Washington, D.C. She holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Maryland, with a concentration in affordable housing and urban development.

Bryan Kelly, Atlantic Development Group

As a Project Manager, Bryan has helped create over 600 affordable housing units throughout the greater New York area. He is responsible for managing all aspects of development including: project underwriting, closing debt/equity transactions, obtaining land use and regulatory approvals, as well as overseing design and construction management process. Prior to joining Atlantic, Bryan was at First Sterling Financial, a private equity firm where he raised over $40 million in tax credit equity used to build 250 workforce housing units amongst 5 projects throughout the northeastern U.S.

Bryan received his B.A. in Communication and Media Studies from Fordham University where he was also Captain of the Fordham University baseball team. He has also completed financial economics coursework at Fordham's Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. His personal interests include gold, running, boating and serving as a board member of the Bulldogs Care Foundation.

Jonathan Kivell, Citi

Jonathan is an Assistant Vice President in the Risk Management department of Citi's Institutional Clients Group, focusing on community development finance transactions. Prior to joining Citi, Jonathan worked for United Bank in Washington, DC where he originated real estate and working capital loans to affordable housing developers, non-profit organizations and small businesses.

Jonathan is a Director of the Hyde Leadership Public Charter School in Brooklyn. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor in Virginia Tech University's Urban Affairs and Planning program and Georgetown University's Master's in Real Estate program where he taught classes titled "A Practitioner's Perspective on Community Economic Development" and 'Real Estate Finance in Low- and Moderate-Income Communities", respectively.

Originally from Great Neck, NY, Jonathan earned a B.S. cum laude from Cornell University and a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University.

 

 

Tean Ly is a Vice President and Banker with Citi Community Capital where she originates and structures construction and permanent financing for affordable housing and real estate. Prior to relocating to the New York office in October of 2008, Tean worked for Citi Community Capital in the Boca Raton, Florida office. Tean started her career as a Real Estate Analyst in the FHA financing group at GMAC Commercial Mortgage (later becoming Capmark Securities) in Denver, Colorado.

Tean graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from University of Colorado where she studied International Business and Management Information Systems.

Tean enjoys traveling the world and learning about different cultures; scouring cookbooks for inspiration in her favorite room – the kitchen; and eating her way through mom and pop restaurants all over the country. You’ll often find her in a pair of Crocs (shoes) on her days off.

Samantha Magistro, Bronx Pro Real Estate Management Inc.

Samantha began her professional career as an intern at Bronx Pro Real Estate Management. After four years of working on tax credit compliance and tenant income certifications, she joined Bronx Pro as an Assistant Project Manager on an innovative renovation project - University Macombs Apartments. While pursuing post-graduate studies at Columbia University, Samantha remained active in her field, interning at the Manhattan Borough President's Office and holding a part-time position as a Project Manager at Enterprise Community Partners. She also spent a semester studying economic and workforce development in post-Katrina New Orleans. Samantha returned to Bronx Pro full-time in August 2008 to spearhead larger scale development projects and new business development.

Samantha holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from Barnard College and an M.S. in Urban Planning from Columbia University. She is an Enterprise Gotham Society board member, a member of the New York City Road Runners Club as well as an active alumna of Barnard College.

Nadine Morency-Mohs

Nadine is a NYS Licensed Realtor with Exclusive Agents Realty in Fresh Meadows, Queens. In her role, she educates first-time homebuyers about the homebuying process. She also assists families residing in shelter obtain rentals in the private rental market.

Nadine obtained her B.S. from York College with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Mortgage Finance. She also graduated with distinction from Queens College with a Masters in Urban Affairs, where her concentration was community development. Nadine is also a NYS certified Real Estate Instructor.

Jeannine Sikora-Robertello

Jeannine is a Project Assistant in the Office of Policy Research and Development of New York State Homes and Community Renewal. She serves as part of a team responsible for the development of a Statewide Affordable Housing Needs Study and corresponding regional reports. Her duties include researching best practices in federal, state and local housing policy and programs; collecting and analyzing housing data; and developing creative policies to promote sustainability in the development of affordable housing.

Jeannine holds a Masters in Regional Planning and a B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning from S.U.N.Y. Albany. Her background also includes promotion and marketing of the Section 8 Homeownership Program at the Albany Housing Authority. Her hobbies include painting, snow shoeing and attending indie rock shows with her husband.

Winthrop Wharton, BFC Partners

Winthrop is a development associate at BFC Partners, a real estate development company that has been involved in the planning, development and construction of 4,500 units of housing in New York City with a combined value of $3.5Bn. He began his development activities in Connecticut as a development assistant for the Atlantic Holding Company in 2007. Since joining BFC in 2008 as an analyst, Winthrop has progressed through the company to his current role as a development associate and project manager. He is currently responsible for managing all aspects of development including project budgeting, debt/equity transactions, design management, construction management, procurement, contract negotiation, as well as joint venture and management deals.

Most notably, Winthrop has been in charge of BRF's Toren project, a 38-story, 240-unit LEED Gold certified condominium tower in downtown Brooklyn. Toren includes approximately 50,000SF of retail/office/parking along with a co-generation plant that will provide both electricity and heating/cooling to the residential and commercial occupants. Winthrop wass also involved in BFC's Stapleton Senior Housing project in Staten Island which consists of 105 units in a 100,00SF building.

Winthrop received a B.A. in Business Management from Lynchburg College and currently enrolled in the Masters in Real Estate Development program at New York University.

Tean Ly, Citi Community Capital